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Crater closes on postseason berth Comet girls down South By GREG STILES A little more than a month ago, the Crater Comets were groping in the dark. After Crater lost its first three Southern Oregon Conference girls basketball games, a fourth straight district championship was out and even the state playoffs seemed a stretch. Since then, however, the Comets have won seven of nine games, including Thursday night's 59-42 road victory at South Medford. The Comets (13-9, 7-5 SOC) share third place with Roseburg (10-10, 7-5 SOC) and have a foot in the door for their fourth straight postseason appearance. "We started off pretty slow, but we've gained a lot of confidence," said senior Becky Arreola. "We don't need to take first in the conference to do some damage in state." The Comets ruined South Medford's playoff aspirations by outscoring the Panthers (11-10, 5-7 SOC) 34-21 in the second half. "It was do-or-die for both teams, and I don't feel we came out with the intensity we needed," South Medford coach Andrea Wegner said. "We had a letdown in third quarter. We had some good looks at the basket, but the shots just didn't fall." Crater had it's own difficulties finding the hoop, sinking just 14-of-30 free throws. The Comets were 3-for-10 in the first half, but still managed to lead 25-21. Then the Comets outscored the Panthers 14-3 to start the third quarter and it never got closer than six the rest of the way. "We were really fired up early, but I think they had a lot more intensity in the second half," South sophomore Kellie Thomas said. "They got quite a few fastbreaks, and there were times when we didn't box out. That hurt us." In a three-minute binge at the start of the second half, Crater freshman point guard Sarah Yager drained a 3-pointer, Megan Robbins drove to the hoop for a layup, Emily Wiley banked in a 10-footer and Yager drove the lane for a basket. South's only counter was a free throw by Lynn Wooton as the Comets moved on top, 34-22. After Karla Zenz drilled one from 10 feet, Crater fired back, with Wiley scoring from the baseline and Yager burying another 3-pointer to make it 39-24. "They came out in a zone and we hit from the outside," Yager said. "They started switching defenses and went back to man." South made a brief run, reeling off nine straight points -- seven by Nicole Munoz -- to pull within 39-36. But Wiley robbed South of its momentum, whirling around from 12 feet away to lace a shot at the buzzer. The Panthers never scored consecutive baskets again. Jodie McLeod led the Comets with 13 points, six coming in the first quarter, while Wiley and Yager had 11 apiece. "They had my number from the last time," said Wiley, who poured in 19 points in the Comets' 57-50 win Jan. 12 at Central Point. "They were pushing me around and playing me tough tonight." Crater sank 20-of-43 (.465) shots, while South was 12-of-42 (.286). The Panthers were 5-of-9 from behind the 3-point arc but just 7-of-33 (.212) inside the line. Significantly, South's Ellena Flood, who bombed in four 3-pointers last month, was held scoreless. "It sounds funny," Crater coach David Heard said. "But we were in a 2-3 zone, so we could get to their shooters. We can do that because Emily does such a good job inside." And now after such a horrible start, the Comets are thinking playoffs again. "When you are as young as we are," Heard said, "you grow every day." CRATER (59) -- Yager 11, Chase 3, Hemphill 0, Robbins 6, Sapienza 2, Durbin 1, McLeod 13, Wiersma 5, Hall 0, Wiley 11, Johnson 3, Arreola 4. Totals -- 20-43 14-30 59. SOUTH MEDFORD (42) -- Perttu 1, Flood 0, Wooton 4, Munoz 7, Fossen 11, Narus 0, Mason 4, Thomas 6, Zenz 9. Totals: 12-42 13-22 42. Crater ...........................15 10 16 18 -- 59 South Medford ..............10 11 12 9 -- 42 3-point goals -- Crater 5-13 (Yager 3, Chase 1, Robbins 1). South Medford 5-9 (Munoz 1, Fossen 3, Mason 1). Fouled out -- Munoz. JV score -- South Medford 60, Crater 44. Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford,